Customized Workshops & Services for Libraries
Library Roving Service
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..40 – 60% of your Library patrons/customers will not approach the desk to ask for the help they need. Many, feeling underserved, will not return. These “hidden customers” will only be found and served by Pro-active, Roving* Library Staff.
Pro-active Service and Roving is a powerful, effective workshop and follow-up program which has been successfully implemented in Libraries in Canada, the U.S.A., Australia and New Zealand.Joan Giannone, President of Mentor Group Training Inc. has over 9 years of experience consulting with and training thousands of Library Staff and Managers at dozens of Library Systems internationally. Her experience has shown clearly that many Libraries are grappling with similar issues when attempting to broaden their service model to include roving. Using this insight, Joan created the dynamic and practical workshop, “Pro-active Service and Roving”, which has provided Roving success and service transformation at Libraries in Canada, The U.S.A., Australia and New Zealand.
Designed to:
Enable staff to confront an increasingly complex and changing information services marketplace, especially regarding customer expectations and choices
Heighten awareness around the impact of poor customer service interactions
Introduce a simple, powerful professional standard of skills and techniques to improve the consistency and quality of customer service, system wide.
An effective, customized 1 or 2-day workshop and planning session for all library staff
Analysis of information services trends and the competitive landscape
Featuring…
Effective, non-intrusive methods for approaching people while roving
Review of the importance of body language when roving – yours and theirs
Application of 6 Steps to Proactive Service
Staff feedback on potential barriers to proactive and/or roving customer service, and solutions to remove those barriers
Reinforced By…
A simple and comprehensive 4-week Email follow-up campaign
Mentor Group Training Inc. communication and mentoring services as needed
For more information, contact Joan Giannone at joan.giannone@rogers.com, or 905-425-0362
Responses to 8 Common Myths and Misconceptions about Roving
“Stand up to your obstacles and do something about them. You will find that they haven’t half the strength you think they have.” -Dr. Norman Vincent Peale. 1898-1993, Pastor, Speaker and Author
In response to numerous requests, I am going to describe the 8 most common myths or misconceptions about Roving, and reveal some practical truths about them. I first identified and published answers for them about 6 years ago, and have found that these concerns are still troubling many Library Managers and Staff today (unless, of course, they have learned to dispel them by attending one of our “Pro-active Service and Roving workshops ). In the next 8 posts, I will share the best answers to these common issues, including the best ideas raised by over a thousand Library Managers and Staff in our workshops in Canada, The U.S., Australia and New Zealand.
A Few Caveats:
My first caveat about this “myth-busting” series is that with Roving …one size does not fit all, and therefore, it is possible that any one (or more) of the responses may not exactly fit your Library. The second caveat is to stop and think about these things from the perspective of your patrons / customers. The third caveat is a request for readers to not “extrem-ize” any of the responses or ideas. I know that’s not a word (!) – but I sometimes find that when people worry, they often imagine applying something new in extreme ways, until it is entirely unsuitable, and then dismiss any truth or wisdom from the idea completely. Roving is BOTH an “ART” and a “SCIENCE” and it is only by taking a “middle path”, using your best judgment, keeping an open mind, that the best approaches will be found. Final Caveat…I sometimes use the word “customers” instead of “patrons”. This is not a mistake…it is simply a better term to reflect the fact that Library patrons are truly now “customers”… in that they have far more choices than in the past as to where to “shop” for their information or entertainment (and that is a subject for a whole other discussion another day!). And although you might say – Hey – Library patrons don’t buy anything…because Library services are “free”…when you think carefully about it, they pay with their taxes, their fines, their time, their gas or transit fare to get there…so you might say they are “pre-paid customers”. (I think Joan Frye Williams first coined that phrase…)
So here they are, the “8 Common Myths / Misperceptions About Roving” as identified in our Library workshops over the past 7-8 years. I will “bust” each of them individually, over the next 8 posts.
- Myth: “Getting few complaints means our service is good.”
- Myth: “We’re already busy”
- Misconception: “We already care about customers, so we don’t need to do anything differently.”
- A) Myth: “Patron’s will hate it.” B) Associated Myth: “We can ‘do’ roving without any special training.” C) Associated myth: “Roving means we have to approach and talk to every patron, even disturbing those who are obviously happy.”
- Myth: “Roving can only be done when there are two or more people staffing the desk. You can’t leave the desk empty.”
- Misconception: “Roving really hampers our ability to get our work done.”
- Misconception: “When it is slow and yet we can’t go back to sit at the desk, then I feel that Roving aimlessly is a waste of my time.”
- Misconception: “If I rove and get a lot of “No’s” to my offers to assist, then my roving was a failure.”
I’ll deal with each of these 8 Myths/Misperceptions starting with #1 in the next post!
STAY TUNED!
Having trouble getting your Roving program moving? Need everyone to start thinking “out of the box”? Wondering what you can do to boost Roving results in 2011?
Now You Can Can Deliver Effective Roving Training Yourself …wherever you need it, …whenever you need it, …using your own in-house facilitator, …for a fraction of the cost with Mentor Group Training’s “Do It Yourself” Workshop Kit and Train the Trainer Program.
Simply put: this is the workshop that has been setting the pace for Roving Training for over 7 years. Our company pioneered the concept of customized Proactive Service and Roving training for Libraries back when the idea was limited to just a few bold Library systems, and some conference discussions – and we have been constantly refining and improving the process ever since. Over the years, thousands of participants in The U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand have gained new confidence to engage comfortably in roving and other pro-active service activities as a result of what they have learned in one of our workshops.
And now, you can “Do It Yourself” – presenting your own in-house Roving Training with professional materials and a practical “Train the Trainer” seminar from Mentor Group Training Inc.
To learn more, please see a description in the 2-page DIY Roving 2-pg flyer,2011 flyer.
On Wednesday, February 2, 2011, 1.00 p.m. – 4.00 p.m. I was honoured to present ”The Human Factor” as my contribution to a pre-conference session at the OLA Superconference . I say “honoured” in all sincerity, because my co-presenters were Cambridge Public Libraries’ CEO Greg Hayton – who shared the secret of Cambridge’s success in being cited as one of Canada’s Best Small and Medium-Sized Employers- and Einar Westerlund, Director of Project Development at the Queen’s School of Business, and the project lead for the Award.
Here is a link to a PDF of my presentation: THE HUMAN FACTOR
Soon you will also be able to access Greg Hayton and Einar Westerlund’s slides on the OLA Super Conference website. The session, entitled “From Resistance to Ownership” (Session PO14) was hosted by Kestrel Info Services and Mentor Group Training Inc.
Bridge the Gap
Thu. 25 Nov 2010 – Fri. 26 Nov 2010, The iSchool Institute,
140 St. George Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G6
One of the most critical skills we all need to master in today’s competitive, fast-paced environment is the ability to interact effectively with many different types of people. Whether you’re providing service to the public, building relationships with colleagues, trying to improve staff engagement, or seeking approval for a project or funding, the ability to influence and communicate well with all types of people is critical to success.
The truth is, many of us have developed communication patterns which do not serve us well, which can greatly hinder productivity, teamwork and even our careers. Have you felt frustrated by a negative response to your communication? Are you losing patience because you think you are communicating clearly but others don’t seem to “get it”? Have you had trouble getting your projects or ideas approved? In this new, dynamic 2-day course, The Human Factor: Achieving Results Through Insightful Communication, Joan addresses these and other challenges, by first providing insight into the 4 Behaviour Styles, then providing effective communication approaches to help Executives, Managers, Supervisors (and those who wish to be promoted to Management) learn how to apply this knowledge to make more effective, conscious communication choices.
This 2-day course, presented at the University of Toronto iSchool Institute by Joan Giannone, President of Mentor Group Training is insightful and engaging, full of many “Aha!” moments. It will have a profoundly positive effect on your future communication effectiveness, persuasiveness and even leadership skills. For more information and to register for this exciting workshop, see http://tinyurl.com/TheHumanFactor-Ischool.
On Wednesday Feb. 24th I will be presenting a Pre-Conference Workshop at the Ontario Library Association Super Conference.
Workshop Title: Best Foot Forward: Pro-active Service and Roving 2.0
Date/Time: Wed. Feb. 24th, 2010, 9:30 AM – 4:00 PM
Location: Metro Toronto Convention Centre, 255 Front St. West, Toronto Ontario
Fee: OLA members $125, Non-Members $165
Register via the Ontario Library Association at http://www.accessola.com/ola/bins/content_page.asp?cid=5
Workshop description:
Best Foot Forward: Pro-active Service and Roving 2.0
The use of roving reference has been in practice in libraries for several years and much has been learned. As one of the pioneers, Joan has travelled to the United States, Australia, and throughout Canada, leading libraries in their implementation of the concept.
In this new 2010 version of her practical and entertaining workshop, Joan reveals what libraries have shared with her about the most common challenges they face when trying to implement roving. More importantly, she will share updates on the latest and best tips, practical approaches, tools, and solutions she has seen libraries use to overcome their challenges.
You will walk away with
1. Current, practical approaches, tips and techniques
2. Common obstacles and pitfalls, and how to avoid them
3. Answers to your own specific questions about roving reference in your library
4. A comprehensive list of URL’s of pertinent articles, presentations, white papers, and more
I am always happy to speak with libraries and other organizations about their goals, challenges and needs. I also am available to consult or conduct training on a wide variety of topics – everything from 1/2 day to multi-day classes as required, both in-person and virtually. I also consult regularly with libraries in an informal advisory capacity on numerous service and management topics. Here are some of the areas in which I can provide effective consultation, training, or presentations. If your topic isn’t on the list, just ask – I may have simply forgotten to list it:
- Pro-active Service
- Roving Service; what it it, what it isn’t, how to do it well and be comfortable with it
- Myths and Misperceptions about Roving
- The Road to Roving: key steps for Managers to take for long-term roving implementation
- 10 FAQ’s managers must answer for staff when implementing something new (like Roving)
- Communicating with upset or angry people
- “Communicating On Purpose” (Overcoming barriers to communication, and adapting for personality styles)
- Presentation and Facilitation Skills (also available as one-on-one coaching)
- Leading Transition, Managing Change
- New Leader Assimilation process
- Consensus sessions (identifying priority issues and brainstorming solutions)
Pleaase contact me for more information about my availability
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